Prayer Meeting 16/05/2023

The Servant In Battle  - Part 1


Tonight I will start a new series of talks, or sermons, on another work by the puritan Jeremiah Burroughs, this time from his extensive exposition from one verse in Hebrews 11 (I will share the verse in a moment).

Burroughs’ work, as I said, is utterly extensive and compelling, and of course challenging as well as equipping. Which of course, if it’s not a challenge its usually not a puritan teaching, or a Hope United prayer and devotional meeting teaching. Burroughs’ work is written in a seven hundred page book. Yes, you heard it right - a 700 page book on one verse of Hebrews 11. The book is called ‘Moses Choice’. It’s by the Northampton Press, which is in its first print since 1641.

Before I read the verse, lets read, as we always do, a puritan prayer. This one is from the ‘Valley Of Vision’, I think to date it’s one of the best prayers I’ve ever read, and as always very fitting for the subject at hand. It could literally be written for this subject and share the same title as our sermon series.  Who knows maybe it was Burroughs. Anyway, it’s on page 328 of the little leather version, and page 181 of the paperback:

O Lord, I bless thee that the issue of the battle between thyself and Satan has never been uncertain, and will end in victory. Calvary broke the dragon's head, and I contend with a vanquished foe, who with all his subtlety and strength has already been overcome. When I feel the serpent at my heel may I remember him whose heel was bruised, but who, when bruised, broke the devil's head. My soul with inward joy extols the mighty conqueror. Heal me of any wounds received in the great conflict; if I have gathered defilement, if my faith has suffered damage, if my hope is less than bright, if my love is not fervent, if some creature-comfort occupies my heart, if my soul sinks under pressure of the fight. O thou whose every promise balm, every touch Life, draw near to thy weary warrior, refresh me, that I may rise again to wage the strife, and never tire until my enemy is trodden down. Give me such fellowship with thee that may defy Satan, unbelief, the flesh, the world, with delight that comes not from a creature, and which a creature cannot mar. Give me a draught of the eternal fountain that lieth in thy immutable, everlasting love and decree. Then shall my hand never weaken, my feet never stumble, my sword never rest, my shield never rust, my helmet never shatter, breastplate never fall, as my strength rests in the power of thy might.
 

Hebrews 11:24-26, I will read the three verses, to give a little context.

Hebrews 11:24-26

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Burroughs whole book, however, is drawing from verse 25

Hebrews 11:25

²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 

There are 58 chapters in the book ‘Moses Choice’. As always, the hard part is what to leave out. But hopefully by the end of this series you will have at least a grasp of Burroughs’ heart and content. And moreover, it will greatly equip you.

What a verse though don’t you think? To even ponder on the  verse without even looking deeply at Burroughs’ work, it fills us with thoughts and challenges. Choosing to suffer affliction rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. I love how the writer of Hebrews, makes sure the words ‘passing pleasures’ are part of his statement. Burroughs points out that Moses never chose sin absolutely but:

 …rather than the pleasure of sin, afflictions are to be chosen.
 

It’s not that Moses chose affliction, but he chose it over sin. I’m sure we know that choosing affliction over sin requires crucifying flesh. That in itself is a huge part of the affliction itself, that we feel and comes upon us. I love (and you may hear me say this a lot), I love how Burroughs writes:

Many think they are called unto some affliction in general until they are called unto some particular affliction, and then think “oh if it were another we could bear it, but this one I do not know how to bear it”.

 Burroughs continues:

Whereas the true subjections of the heart to God is to bear what God himself has appointed.
 

Isn’t it the case that choosing true affliction can only be that which we know we can’t attain on our own, nor barely entertain. We will find other ways of not - bargaining usually. I wrote this the other day in a note:

Bargaining is presenting willingness in order to hide the scrutiny of unwillingness.

Burroughs says much about what it means to suffer affliction with the people of God. We will say much, however, just to get it into our minds of what it is and looks like Burroughs says:

To suffer affliction with the people of God, that is either in joining with the people of God in the ways of Godliness in which they were, or in appearing for them, or in joining communion with them. Than to enjoy the pleasures of sin.

To be holy, for people or to stand with God’s holy people in holiness, instead of sinning, is to suffer affliction with the people of God. Brothers and sisters, have you considered what afflictions your fellow brothers are facing , to overcome the things you find so easy to submit to? Have you considered how much they go through to deny themselves, when you won’t? This is ‘to suffer affliction with the people of God’ (Heb 11:25).

John Calvin says it this way:

The Godly have their dark shadows of troubles before them, and their brightness of glory behind to come thereafter, but the men of the world have their brightness before them.

In other words , “I won’t suffer now, I will take pleasure now, suffer later”. Of course, that pleasure is often underplayed. Its shown as not something that has got a grip of them.  It’s as if it’s all just lukewarm. The less affected they look, the less affliction they feel they will be called to endure. However, as Burroughs says:

If ministers and Christian’s will be idle and do little they are not likely to suffer much. A little patience will serve them a turn; but those who put themselves forth, who stir up and are active, who labour much, they will suffer much.
 

Think of it like this: the lukewarm church in Laodicea in the book of Revelation never suffered, like the church in Smyrna, or Philadelphia,  because it never said much or did much. They kept their sin alive by doing and saying nothing. Yet we see faithful men throughout God’s Word, and history facing so much trials and persecution because they never stopped fighting.

Burroughs writes:

Look at the whole book of God, and consider the history of the lives of God’s people in all ages, both in scripture and other records, and you shall find them usually in a poor, afflicted condition.

Burroughs then takes the reader through a whole list of afflicted God’s people, who chose to suffer rather than choose “the passing pleasure of sin”, starting at Abel, and going all the way to Wycliffe and Jan huss, and beyond. Burroughs then, at the end of list of names and situations in which they were afflicted, challenges the reader, who has no thought whatsoever for what they faced.

 Burroughs writes:

We feel but little of those hard things that many of God’s people have felt, and still do feel. We sit under our vines and fig trees, in peace and plenty, not under the shadows of them, but we taste and eat plentifully from the fruit of them.

Of course we not all suffer the afflictions the same. Thank goodness, we should say, that most of us, if any of us, will have to face what many a Godly man had to endure. Yet that should not make us lukewarm, or complacent. In fact, it should further convict us of the much lesser afflictions we find so easy to yield to. God sparing of some more major affliction should bring us to deeper appreciation and deeper obedience.

Burroughs pens:

Seeing God spares us so much suffering, and does not call us to such passive obedience as formerly he has called his servants. Let us therefore labour to be more abundant in active obedience.

How true, to draw from those who faced so much more than we ever will, ought to lead us to a deeper obedience. Burroughs in chapter 5, yes, we are at chapter 5 of the 58 chapters , and are literally skimming this. However, Burroughs asks a question that maybe some would rightly ask.

What is the reason why it must be that the state of God’s people must be an afflicted estate?
 

Burroughs gives a few answers.  We won’t elaborate as Burroughs has on them. 

Firstly

Burroughs:

As long as there is a devil in this world, it must be so.
 

The devil hates God and he hates anything that is Godly, he is at war - therefore he wants to kill all Godliness, and holiness, and we are targets.

Secondly

Burroughs says:

 Ungodly men have sucked up the poison of this old serpent.
 

I love that statement. I have never heard it put that way before, ‘Ungodly men have sucked up the Satan’s poison’. Sin and Godliness are at odds with each other. They are at war. Wickedness hates Godliness. We need to know that the more Christlike we become, which in itself causes us to crucify the flesh, but after that, the enemy will come at you like never before.

However, let me say this: your crucifying your own flesh is the gym work for the war that will come. No gym-work, no crucifying the flesh, no going to town on yourself, no log removing from your own eye: no prep for abuse. Have you noticed the most sensitive, easily offended, prideful people are those that seem to not be able to crucify their own flesh in the private battles? There will never be a time when our flesh does not hates our spirit – or, Satan hates holiness. It will always be there.

 Burroughs says:

It may be curbed and restrained a little and for a time, but reconciliation can never be made unless the nature is changed. No arguments, no persuasions, no means can do any good here.

Satan will never change his nature. No bargaining will do, and neither will us bargaining with our flesh, our playing half-truths with it. The truth is, as Burroughs says:

That while they live with them, they will always be afflicted by them.

Okay, let me close with this, having glossed over 5 chapters. And to do so , I have to go through a lot of pages. But it’s fitting we don’t end without the promises of those that endure.

In chapter 35 Burroughs lists sixteen consolations (comforts we could call them), arising that their sufferings are indeed Christ’s sufferings. It would not be the heart of God, if we suffered in vain, and as the title says in chapter 35, that our sufferings are Christ’s sufferings, this tells us from the offset, that deeper communion with Christ is for sure going to be in the mix. I won’t go through them all, well not tonight, but I might over the course.

Burroughs writes, before he gives the list:

If the reproaches and sufferings are the reproaches of Christ, Christ is engaged in them more than you.

Isn’t that astounding? I will put it this way: if you are suffering and facing affliction for righteousness sake, Christ is in it even more than you. I’m not sure I need any of the 16 comforts or consolations, after that one. However, let me close by giving you the first four, and each meeting we are on the subject I will add more.

First

Heaven takes notice of your sufferings. Christ takes notice of them better than you do.
 

Second

If they are sufferings of Christ, they are no other but such as are predetermined for you from the beginning of the world.

Third

For one to suffer much, to be reproached, and have none to feel compassion is grievous; but you surely do have compassion enough. Christ must take compassion on you, and it’s not forced compassion, but natural compassion.

He adds:

How many times when we hear of servants of God and especially them we know to be Godly, when we hear of strange (difficult reports of them) our hearts begin to break and to yearn towards them. If one member towards another can have such compassion, how much more the head?

Fourth

All these reproaches and sufferings do not argue your rejection. They may stand with infinite love of God. Many of God’s people are ready to draw sad conclusions from their reproaches. Surely God would not allow this if he loved them. They may stand with the same love wherewith the father loved the son, for they are the reproaches of the son.

Amen.